The suspension of arms exports to Israel in the UK and its impact on Palestinians in the Gaza conflict, according to the London-based Human Rights Watch
LONDON — The United Kingdom’s decision to suspend some arms exports to Israel has angered Israeli officials, confounded the U.K.’s chief rabbi — and even disappointed many human rights groups that say it doesn’t go far enough.
The U.K. suspension of arms exports is too limited, according to the organization. Human Rights Watch said it “doesn’t go far enough.”
The United States and Germany are Israel’s biggest weapons suppliers. The U.K.’s defense exports to Israel have fallen from about $65 million in 2022 to about $24 million in 2023, according to government figures.
But the suspension marks a significant escalation in British pressure on Israel to curb civilian deaths in its campaign to root out Hamas militants in Gaza. More than 40,000 Palestinians were killed in the war in Gaza, according to the Gazan health ministry.
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The new U.K. has withdrawn arms from its exports to Israel: Five things to know about the suspension of arms to Israel (after Starmer, Fallon and Miller)
On Tuesday, Miller said, “It’s appropriate for them to make their own legal judgements based on their system and their laws.”
The deadline to act on the request for arrest warrants was passed without any challenge by the Starmer government. With the U.S. not a member of that court, Britain had pledged to file legal paperwork challenging those warrants.
The new prime minister, Keir Starmer, is a former human rights lawyer and prosecutor. He was under pressure from his own supporters to speak out against rising civilian death tolls in Gaza and condemn Israel more forcefully.
The new government of Starmer said it was restarting funding for the UNRWA, which helps the Palestinians.
Both the U.K. and Washington support Israel policy. But a new center-left British government, elected in July, has indicated it may take a more independent approach.
Fallon tells NPR she’s heartened by “all the ordinary people who’ve gone on a march, emailed their [member of Parliament], and worked on this nonstop for the last year.” She sees the U.K. decision as a small victory for her group.
Source: 5 things to know about the U.K.’s suspension of some arms exports to Israel
The U.K. suspension of some arms exports to Israel is “shameful”: Israel denies its violation of international humanitarian law
“That includes things like the rear fuselage, which is the entire back part of the plane, and many other bits including the release mechanisms for the bombs,” says Katie Fallon, an activist with the Campaign Against Arms Trade, one of the groups that has helped organize nationwide protests.
Lammy announced an exemption for components of the F-35, which Israel has used to drop bombs on Gaza. About 15% of those components are made in Britain, according to advocacy groups.
On Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that British officials had notified their U.S. counterparts about the suspension ahead of Lammy’s announcement in Parliament.
In a post Tuesday on social media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Britain’s action “shameful,” and said it would not deter Israel from “pursuing a just war with just means.”
The new center-left government published a policy paper late Monday explaining its decision. Humanitarian aid in Gaza and treatment of prisoners has been found to be not meeting Israel’s standards.
A legal review of U.K. arms exports to Israel was commissioned earlier this year by the previous Conservative-led government, which lost power in July 4 elections. The findings of its review were not made public before it left office.
He said a legal review found that “for certain U.K. arms exports to Israel there exists a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.” Israel denies its breaking any laws.
As the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack approaches, and the death toll in Gaza mounts, the British government is one of several around the world that are expressing increasing alarm at how the war is being conducted.
Source: 5 things to know about the U.K.’s suspension of some arms exports to Israel
What Will the Partial Suspension of Arms Exports Tell Us About Israel’s Security? — An Analysis by Healey
British Defense Secretary John Healey told local radio Tuesday that the partial suspension of arms exports won’t have any “material” impact on Israel’s security.
